Joseph henby sams



(No Model.)

J. H. SAMS.

FIRE PLACE FRONT.

N8. 349,814. Patented Sept. 28, 1886.

IVITNESISLS. t v )VVENTOR.

I ATTORNEY.

u. PEI'ERS. Photo-Lithographer. Wilmington. 0.4-.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH HENRY SAMS, or WEST KENSINGTON, oo'un'rr OF MIDDLESEX,

ENGLAND.

FIRE-PLACE FRONT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,814, dated September 28, 1886.

Application filed April 16, 1886. Serial No. 199,155. (No model.) Patented in England September 19, 1884, No. 12,619.

To all whom it may concern.-

. Be it known that I, JOSEPH HENRY SAMS, a citizen of Great Britain, and a resident of West Kensington, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Place Fronts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of mantel-pieces or chimney-pieces; and it consists in combining therewith swinging or folding fire-screens, which not only swing toward and away from the fire, but also adapted to slide insuitable ways prepared for them behind the side front pieces or frame of the mantel-piec'e when not in use, so as to be out of the way, and, if de-' sired, out of sight, and'which may be readily drawn forward in front of the fire, to screen the same when desired.

My present invention constitutes an improvement upon my application for Letters Patent for like devices filed July 1, 1885, be-

ing Serial No. 17 0,434. The device disclosed in said application consists of single screens, one on each side of the fire, which are hinged to the sides of the mantel-piece, and which, when operated, swing outwardly into the room, each of the screens consisting of a single frame, (although tilting panels were sometimes inclosed within them.) Such single frames or screens, if the fire-place be very large, are apt to be cumbersome and occupy too much space when swung outwardly away from the fire, and present a somewhat awkward appearance, by reason of their size.

My present invention, therefore, consists in so constructing the screens that they will fold upon themselves, and when thus folded may be pushed away from in' front of the fire, sliding on suitably-prepared ways, and be received in a recess prepared for them behind the side front portion of the frame or casing of the chimney-piece; also, by another construction the screen may beso constructed as to slide on suitable ways prepared for it from in frontof the fire sidewise, to expose the fire, sliding behind the front side pieces of the frame of the mantel-piece. When removed from in front of the fire, it appears as an ornamental panel by the side of the mantel-piece, against the wall of the room. The frames orscreens may be made of any desired material, meta], however, being preferred, and they may be ornamented in any desired manner, preferably employing such materials as will not be injuriously affected by the heat, and, if desired, glass panels may be introduced within the screen-frames, which will allow a view of the fire when the screens are closed.

In the drawings the same letters indicate the same parts inall the figures.

Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of the invention, showing at the left a sliding screen and at the righta folding and sliding screen. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken 011 the line Y Y of Fig. 1.

A is the mantel-piece. A A are the front side portions of the frame thereof, behind which the screens slide when not in use.

B is the fireplace. 0 C (seen at the right in Figs. -1 and 3) are two frames forming one screen for one side of the fire-place. They are that the two parts of the screen may be folded over one upon the other.

Dare the ways upon which the screens slide when folded so that they may be received behind the side portions A of the mantel-piece.

The operation is obvious. The screen,when desired to protect the room from the heat of the fire, is drawn outwardly by means of any suitable handle, which may be attached to any suitable part of the frame 0 or G, and when they are both drawn so far forward in front of the fire as to allow the frame 0 to be swung outwardly without interfering with the front of the mantel-piece frame A. Then the frame 0 may be swung forwardly in front of the fire, thus completely inclosing one-half of it, (of course the same double screen-frames will be provided on the opposite side of the fire-place,) and thus, both sides being operated, the entire fire will be inclosed. It will be noticed that the frames 0 O on both sides of the fire-place being swung back, half of the fire will be exposed, and also that theframes may be pushed back behind the side frame of the mantel-piece A more or less, as desired, and thus moreor less of the fire be exposed, and also that the frames 0 C may be set at any desired angle hinged together by hinges c in such mannerrelative to the fire, and that one of them may thenslide laterally in said ways to expose o1. beentirelyorpartlyopened,ifdesired,toscreen inelose the fire, substantially as and for the a person sitting at one sided the fire-place. purposes set forth. I 5

I do not limit myself to the details of con- Signed at London, in the county of Middle- 5 struction shown, since they may be departed sex, England, this 1st day of March, A. D.

from and still my invention be practically C-lD- 1886.

ployed. JOSEPH HENRY SAMS.

Having described my invention, I claim- Vitnesses: The combination, in a mantel or chimney O. I. PITT,

10 piece having ways, of sliding screens formed J. M. BOULLON,

in two or more parts hinged together and I Clerks to Grain (0' Sons, Notaries, 46 Lombard adapted to fold over one upon the other and St, E. (7. 

